Don’t think of it as summer being over. Think of it as a long weekend. We hope you have a great Labour Day weekend, whether you’re getting a last weekend at the cottage or getting ready for the back-to-school rush next week. Holiday weekend hours Friday 30 August – 8am-6pm Saturday 31 August – closed Sunday 1 September – closed Monday 2 September – closed Tuesday 3 September – open at 8am and back to regular hours In the event of an emergency If you need a veterinarian outside of normal hours, please go to one of the following emergency clinics: Emergency Hospital of West Toronto 150 Norseman Street 416.239.3453 Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic 1051 Eglinton Avenue West 416.784.4444 Animal Health Partners 1 Scarsdale Rd. North York 416-380-7400

It’s the long weekend! We hope you have a terrific August Civic Holiday weekend, whether you’re getting up to the cottage or just spending some time soaking up the sun in the city. Holiday weekend hours Friday 2 August – 8am-6pm Saturday 3 August – closed Sunday 4 August – closed Monday 5 August – closed Tuesday 6 August – open at 8am and back to regular hours In the event of an emergency If you need a veterinarian outside of normal hours, please go to one of the following emergency clinics: Emergency Hospital of West Toronto 150 Norseman Street 416.239.3453 Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic 1051 Eglinton Avenue West 416.784.4444 Animal Health Partners 1 Scarsdale Rd. North York 416-380-7400 (And remember: The drinks in this photo are non-alcoholic. Don’t give your pets any alcoholic beverages this weekend!)

You may feel great when you stop eating grains. Your pet has different needs. In the past 10 years, the dog food marketplace has changed dramatically: According to the New York Times, almost half the dog food options on the shelf are grain-free. And many grain-free pet foods position themselves as being ‘healthier’, ‘more natural’, ‘higher in protein’ – making pet parents think they’re really doing their best for their animals when they switch them to these foods. However, last week, the FDA (the US Food & Drug Administration) issued an update on their investigation into grain-free pet foods, and the news continues to be the same: Grain-free diets are increasingly linked to dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM. In dogs, DCM is a disease of the heart muscle, which leads to congestive heart failure. As this article in The Atlantic notes, the FDA’s studies are still preliminary, and their sample size is…

It’s the long weekend! We hope you have a terrific Canada Day weekend, whether you’re getting up to the cottage or just spending some time soaking up the sun in the city. Holiday weekend hours Friday 28 June – 8am-6pm Saturday 29 June – closed Sunday 30 June – closed Monday 1 July – closed Tuesday 2 July – open at 8am and back to regular hours In the event of an emergency If you need a veterinarian outside of normal hours, please go to one of the following emergency clinics: Emergency Hospital of West Toronto 150 Norseman Street 416.239.3453 Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic 1051 Eglinton Avenue West 416.784.4444 Animal Health Partners 1 Scarsdale Rd. North York 416-380-7400

Pets need a little extra TLC in the summer months. In lots of ways, pets love summer as much as people do: More outdoor activities, more frequent (and probably longer) walks, and trips to exotic places like the cottage. But pets – and particularly dogs, who tend to spend more time outside – also face some dangers unique to summer. The ASPCA has listed the top 5 risks for pets in the summer: 1. Fireworks & thunderstorms. According to the ASPCA, loud noises like fireworks are one of the main reasons that pets go missing, especially in good weather. If you’re outside at a fireworks show, keep your pet on a leash; if you know your pet gets frightened by thunderstorms and the loud bangs of fireworks, try keeping them in their crate in a quiet area of your home. 2. Sun & heat. High summer temperatures and more time…

It’s the long weekend! We hope you have a terrific Victoria Day weekend, whether you’re celebrating Easter or just taking some time with friends and family! Holiday weekend hours Friday 17 May – 8am-6pm Saturday 18 May – closed Sunday 19 May – closed Monday 20 May – closed Tuesday 21 May – open at 8am and back to regular hours In the event of an emergency If you need a veterinarian outside of normal hours, please go to one of the following emergency clinics: Emergency Hospital of West Toronto 150 Norseman Street 416.239.3453 Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic 1051 Eglinton Avenue West 416.784.4444 Animal Health Partners 1 Scarsdale Rd. North York 416-380-7400

What is distemper? According to Toronto city officials, distemper in raccoons and skunks is currently a bigger problem than rabies in the GTA. The problem is that while most of us have heard of distemper, we actually don’t know how to recognize it, so in many cases, reports of ‘rabid’ animals are in fact animals with canine distemper. Canine distemper is a virus that affects an animal’s gastrointestinal, respiratory and central nervous systems, as well as the conjunctival membranes of the eye. It can take a few days from the first infection to the first symptoms, but in almost all cases the disease is fatal, and even the minority of dogs who do survive end up with permanent brain damage. Your vet will normally include distemper vaccinations as part of their normal vaccination schedule in your puppy’s first year – and it’s important. It’s rare for an animal with distemper…

Spring has sprung! We hope you have a terrific holiday weekend, whether you’re celebrating Easter or just taking some time with friends and family! Holiday weekend hours Thursday 18 April – open regular hours til 8pm Friday 19 April – closed Saturday 20 April – closed Sunday 21 April – closed Monday 22 April – open regular hours starting at 8am In the event of an emergency If you need a veterinarian outside of normal hours, please go to one of the following emergency clinics: Emergency Hospital of West Toronto 150 Norseman Street 416.239.3453 Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic 1051 Eglinton Avenue West 416.784.4444 Animal Health Partners 1 Scarsdale Rd. North York 416-380-7400

Your dog can’t talk – but his body can If you’ve been a dog parent for any length of time, you know two things: One, that dogs will, sooner or later, put pretty much anything into their mouths, and this will, from time to time, cause them some gastrointestinal distress. Second, owning a dog means cleaning up poop – and gastrointestinal distress usually means more poop. In healthy dogs, most of the time, 24 hours of diarrhea isn’t a cause for concern, and you don’t immediately need to call your vet. Here’s what you can do at home: Make sure your dog has plenty of clean water to drink – and make sure you keep an eye on how much they’re drinking. The biggest immediate issue when a dog (or a person) has diarrhea is dehydration, so ensuring your dog is getting enough fluids is important. (Some dog parents…

The other day I was speaking to one of our long-term dog parents about her elderly cocker spaniel, who happens to be deaf, partially blind, and has glaucoma. “I know I was resistant to getting that blood work done a couple of months ago,” she told me. “But you know, I’m so glad I did. It’s given me such peace of mind. It makes such a big difference, knowing that she’s basically healthy for her age and that I’m not going to get surprised by some condition that went unnoticed for ages.” What are canine blood tests for? While there are a wide range of canine blood tests, a CBC (complete blood count) examines the white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets, including the health and functionality of those cells. As in blood tests for humans, this information gives your vet information about your dog’s immune system and…